Disclaimer: Well, since I've now decided to marry George Lucas and thus own Star Wars, maybe someday. But for now, not mine.
Chapter 12
You're making me go, than making me stay
Why do you hurt me so bad?
It would help me to know, do I stand in your way
Or am I the best thing you've had?
Believe me, believe me, I can't tell you why
But I'm trapped by your love, and I'm chained to your side
-Pat Benetar
Xanatos
Xanatos's feet barely connected with the ground as he pulled Obi-Wan out of the academy. Around them mercenaries were being attacked and ripped to pieces by the cats, and the forest was engulfed in flames. Xanatos ignited his lightsaber, slicing at a cat that had gotten close to them.
Obi-Wan was deathly pale, and it worried him. He had no idea that the d'yirk would do that; but then again, he never intended to ram his lightsaber into it either. On the upside, for some reason the wound was not bleeding.
Xanatos pulled the boy a good distance away from the academy before he allowed him to slump against an unlit tree. Pained eyes turned to stare at the academy.
"Do you think he'll get them out in time?" Obi-Wan asked desperately.
Xanatos hesitated for a moment. "No."
"But you don't care," he responded simply.
Not knowing what to say, Xanatos didn't answer.
Of course I don't care, the entire point of this was to kill Qui-Gon. I had intended to take the rest of the Jedi with him, but this will do.
Obi-Wan shook his head. "I can't just stay out here and do nothing."
For a moment Xanatos couldn't breath as Obi-Wan straightened to head back to the academy, but then his instincts kicked in and he grabbed Obi-Wan's good arm.
"He told you to come outside," Xanatos argued, gripping him firmly.
"I don't care."
"You-" But a strange noise cut him short.
Voices, many voices, and stomping feet.
Obviously hearing it as well, Obi-Wan turned to look into the burning forest. Tall plants and bushes were being pushed to the side as a large group of people headed toward the academy. They were garbed in animal skins that looked worn-out, and their skin was dirty. Fear was painted on some of their faces, but others held brave or stoic looks.
Oh, not them again.
"Who are they?" Obi-Wan wondered aloud.
They pushed past the pair, heading straight for the academy. Only one older woman stopped.
"You're Obi-Wan?" She asked. She didn't look at Xanatos for more then a second.
Obi-Wan nodded.
"We met your master on his journey. We're here to help."
"The academy's going to explode," Obi-Wan warned quickly.
She nodded apathetically. "We know." Then she was gone amongst her fellow tribesmen.
I can't fight all of them, Xanatos thought bitterly. But this isn't over, even if Qui-Gon gets out of there, it's ending today.
To Xanatos's further irritation, Obi-Wan looked relieved to see the natives.
"I didn't know that people lived on Tarria."
Xanatos crossed him arms. "Intelligent people don't."
Two young boys came out supporting an older man. A woman carrying a small, half-conscious little boy followed him.
"But they're good people," Obi-Wan said softly.
Xanatos glanced at him, wondering what his implication was.
Several more stumbled out, and Obi-Wan sighed in relief when he saw Qui-Gon come out supporting a young woman. Qui-Gon grabbed the arm of a young native about to return to the academy. Xanatos couldn't hear what the Jedi told him, but the boy stepped back and started warding people away from the building. Qui-Gon swung the girl up into his arms and moved quickly toward Xanatos and Obi-Wan.
"We got out who we could," Qui-Gon said, his face calm but sadness in his eyes. "We can't go back in there, we don't have enough time."
Obi-Wan helped Qui-Gon set the half-conscious girl down. "At least we tried."
Xanatos clenched his fist, he wasn't sure which annoyed him more, their obvious dismissal of any threat that he could impose, or that Obi-Wan had returned to being the Jedi's lapdog in a matter of minutes.
"How unfortunate," he snapped.
Qui-Gon finally turned to look at him, then narrowed his eyes. "So you have no compunction."
"And you're surprised," Xanatos smirked at him. It was something that the dark Jedi had noted long ago; nothing could get to Qui-Gon like outright mockery. "You never did understand me at all. After all these years, I can still fool you."
"You were able to fool me once," Qui-Gon said. "But not anymore." He didn't sound angry or even sad, just very, very tired. That fueled Xanatos even more.
"And what do you know? Besides false promises and empty maxims, that is," He placed his hand firmly on his lightsaber's hilt. "Why carry on this argument, we both know that it's ending here, today."
Qui-Gon nodded and moved into a defensive position. "Yes, it is."
"Wait-" Obi-Wan started, but neither listened. With a hiss and a crash their lightsabers tangled like an angry storm, burning like lightning against the ground.
This won't take long, Xanatos told himself as he and Qui-Gon pushed back into the flames of the forest, and they became shrouded by burning trees. He's getting old; he can't fight me like he once did. I'll kill him; I'll have my revenge, and I'll have Obi-Wan.
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Obi-Wan
Panic coursed through him as Xanatos and Qui-Gon fought. He moved forward to step in-between them, to do something to stop them, but was intercepted himself.
One of the vicious wild cats, twice the size of the one that attacked Xanatos, leapt in front of him lithely. A partially chewed arm hung from the side of his mouth, and blood dripped down the front of his mane. The creature sucked the arm in and chewed like a human would do with Elechia noodles.
Frankly, Obi-Wan would rather have dealt with his half-crazed semi-lover and overly exhausted master.
"Nice kitty," he said soothingly as he reached for his lightsaber.
It wasn't there.
Of course, he thought bitterly. That d'yirk thing ate it.
Obi-Wan glanced around him. Xanatos and Qui-Gon were already out of his sight; lost in the burning forest, and the natives and mercenaries all had creature problems of their own to deal with.
The cat appeared to be smirking as it approached him slowly.
Taking an involuntary step backwards, Obi-Wan looked for some sort of weapon, anything to protect himself against the vicious creature. The thing started to back up, preparing to leap, then sprang.
Obi-Wan jumped out of the way, but it was unnecessary. The creature sailed over his head at a mercenary already fighting one cat. Obi-Wan hit the ground hard on his worn body and stumbled a little, but he was fine. He stared at the departed creature in shock.
Of course, he realized. Xanatos said that I would be the least appealing to them in the entire camp. They thrive on dark energy.
He turned at the fiery forest and moved toward it at a jog. His ankle protested, but his mind was screaming at him to find them before something irrevocable happened.
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Qui-Gon
Xanatos's rage was overwhelming.
He had always been a formidable opponent, that was one of the reasons why he stood out to Qui-Gon at the Jedi temple. His fighting was quick and decisive; he didn't linger on decisions or draw his victories out. He was fast and dangerous, like a poisonous snake.
And he had advanced, but not the way Qui-Gon had expected. His arts had shifted from Jedi to a whole different range, one that his ex-master couldn't account for his knowing.
Where had Xanatos learned to fight like a Sith?
He pulled from the dark side of the force like drinking water from a stream, and thrived on its kinetic energy like he was breastfed and raised on it. It was unnerving.
It was deadly.
"Surprised?" Xanatos asked with a wicked smile as Qui-Gon made a wrong step and was forced back.
"No," Qui-Gon responded dryly as he parried a blow. "I got use to your ego long ago."
Xanatos pushed him back again, and Qui-Gon broke through the trees. They were now next to a cliff with a steep drop and jagged sides. Fire ripped along the bottom of the canyon.
"I had to pull your apprentice off this cliff's edging not long ago. Tore him up pretty bad."
How dare he treat Obi-Wan like that? Anger hit Qui-Gon, but he let it go. "I'm sure you enjoyed his pain."
Fury blazed in Xanatos's eyes as he swung his lightsaber at Qui-Gon. "Every time he was hurt it was your fault, not mine."
The force of the blow shook Qui-Gon up to his shoulders, but he held. "Why would that matter to you?"
Xanatos pushed away, anger written across his face. The fire crackled behind them in its own private rage, spitting out deadly embers. He swung again, and this blow pushed Qui-Gon back against the cliff's edge.
"You're going to die today Qui-Gon," Xanatos said, glaring at him in disgust and hate. "But before you die, I want you to know that Obi-Wan doesn't belong to you and the Jedi anymore, and hasn't since I took him from Coruscant. He belongs to me, and he's leaving here with me."
Qui-Gon stared back at Xanatos in shock, not fully comprehending what he was saying. Belongs to him…?
He was never able to ask. The fire roared behind him, and a tree broke beneath its anger. With a groan the trunk fell toward the ground where Xanatos was standing. The dark Jedi leapt back and the tree landed heavily in front of him. The cliff cracked beneath his feet and slid away from the land. Qui-Gon saw Xanatos's shocked face, and then he was gone over the cliff.
The Jedi stared down the clifface, shocked himself. He couldn't see anything around the flames flowing along the canyon's bottom.
"Qui-Gon!" He nearly jumped when he heard Obi-Wan's voice behind him. The boy was covered in soot and sweat, but his blue eyes glowed against the black dust.
He was injured, and Qui-Gon had no idea how his emotional health was, but he was alive.
"Where's Xanatos?" Obi-Wan asked after a moment's hesitation. He was apprehensive as he looked around.
"Gone," Qui-Gon said gently.
"Gone?" Obi-Wan repeated apathetically. He moved forward a little shakily. "Gone where?"
"We were fighting, and he fell," Qui-Gon pointed toward cliff.
Obi-Wan looked over the edge, then stumbled backwards. "He can't… he didn't…" Qui-Gon reached for him, but the boy tumbled to the ground and vomited, shaking and coughing.
Qui-Gon knelt down beside him and pulled the boy to his feet. "Obi-Wan? What happened?"
But he didn't answer.
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A/N: I'm soooo sorry that it took so long to get this update out, especially since I promised you guys a fast one. This chapter gave me such pains, and advanced lit and comp wasn't helping any. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, please review! Only one chapter to go.